


Hulk Meets Werewolves Revisited

by LenoraLana



Category: The Incredible Hulk (TV)
Genre: Gen, OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 20:56:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16584041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LenoraLana/pseuds/LenoraLana
Summary: This was another version of the Hulk meets Werewolves thing I did with a co-partner years ago... although I don't remember her username on fanfiction and I don't know if she's on a03. David Banner is working at a restaraunt when he meets a young woman whom he has more in common with than he realizes....





	Hulk Meets Werewolves Revisited

David really knew how to pick them. Of course the first real town he encountered in nearly two weeks would be one brimming with tales of the supernatural. It was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, everyone was focused on werewolves--the centerpiece of all the rumors going around--but on the other hand, the denizens were already in the right mindset to believe in things not usually seen. People were less likely to write off a strange green man running amok. Not that he was planning on letting something like that happen, but it was always good to be prepared.

 

He worked in a resturant as a waiter. If he wanted to hear all the recent gossip in town, then this was the place to work. It was also the only place that would hire him on a whim. It wasn't as if he had a resume to hand in. Bad enough that he used a false name. What was it this time? He thought for a moment almost forgetting. Darem Bridges. He had come up with it on the spur of the moment, surprisingly enough, as if it wasn't something he did on a regular basis.

 

It was early morning, so he would be serving the older crowd and a few white collars. The scent of fresh coffee permeated throughout and David was already taking his first few orders.

 

The front door opened and someone... different stepped inside. It was a young woman, someone David hadn't seen before. She was obviously young, perhaps nineteen or twenty years old. Her hair was cut short and she wore a simple sweater and blue jeans.

 

There was nothing overly odd about her appearance, except that she looked a tad unkempt; she looked like someone who didn't care about her looks or simply hadn't had time to make herself more presentable. No, what was really noticeable about her was... how tense she seemed.

 

For one thing, when she entered, it was almost... cautiously, as if she were afraid of something. She eyed the entire area for a moment, as if looking to see if someone would take notice of her. No one did, even if a few patrons may have glanced curiously in her direction. She stood there stiffly by the door for a long moment, then she finally moved toward one of the booths in the farthest corner. It was as if she wanted to stay away from everybody else.

 

She let out a heavy sigh, plunked herself down into her seat, and waited without really looking at anything or anyone. She still seemed tense, though.

 

The instant the young woman had walked into the establishment, she had caught David's eye. It wasn't often a person who looked like they could have been school age came in especially not on a weekend. He noticed that the other two waiters hadn't even attempted to serve her so he took it upon himself to do so. As he approached her, he could tell why she had been avoided--she appeared to be far too tense for a typical young woman just looking for a good breakfast. If she wanted to avoid attention, she was doing a horrible job of it.

 

"Can I start you out on anything?" David inquired as pleasantly as he could.

 

She glanced up at him sharply. Even if she did not say it, everything about her body language, as a result of his proximity to her table, practically screamed 'Keep your distance and don't touch me.' Even though he hadn't gotten too close or made any moves to touch her.

 

"Uh... yeah. I guess." She cleared her throat and tugged at the collar of her sweater, pulling it upward a tad. She wanted to keep the ugly scar on her throat concealed... though she knew she wasn't succeeding. She'd have to wear a turtle neck to hide it altogether. "Uh... just... whatever. Whatever I can get for under twenty dollars. I don't care." She shrugged stiffly and avoided eye contact.

 

An eyebrow rose as he watched her movements not to mention the initial look she had give him. He could sense her nervousness as if asking her a question was nearly taboo. And his eyes fell to her scar. It wasn't something he noticed right off the bat, but she seemed to be making it a point to draw attention to it even if it wasn't her intentions. David couldn't help but grin a little at her antics. A young woman obviously with something to hide decides to walk into a very public restaurant. Was the food here really that good?

 

"Well, there's always the usual most customers get when they come here--pancake and bacon or sausage. I'd say you're more of a sausage person. And you'd want water with that--the drinks here have almost criminal prices. Does that sound good to you?"

 

He tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible. He didn't want to excite her anymore than she was. In the back of his mind though, he knew there was something terribly wrong with this picture. Despite his decision not to get involved with other people's probelms, he still wanted to know more. He was curious.

 

"Yeah, whatever," she replied in a bland tone, making a dismissive gesture. It was apparent that she was only half-listening to everything he said. Her eyes darted around the room and then locked onto the door. Then they snapped back up to David.

 

There was a haunted expression in the back of her eyes, as if... something had happened to her. It was impossible to really know without knowing more about her. "Do I pay now or later?" she asked somewhat grumpily.

 

"Now what would I look like taking your money right here and now?"

 

David hadn't even needed to write anything down since he had come up with the entire order. She seemed out of place sitting there by herself, dressed as she was. It didn't look like she was going anywhere in particular.

 

"I haven't been around here for very long, but you seem like you're from out of town," David said trying to make small talk. She didn't seem like the small-talk kind of person, but it was always something that he started with if he wanted to learn something more about a person.

 

She pursed her lips. For a moment it seemed like she might tell him to mind his own business and get her order. But instead she gave a little shrug of one shoulder. "I just came here to eat," she stated simply. "I was too tired... to cook," she said, choosing her words very carefully. "Let's just say I was up all night."

 

She shook her head, as if she'd chattered more than she meant to. "Okay, I'm also here to check out rumors. I hate places like this." She gestured around the room. "But I'm curious. What's the word on werewolves? Anybody seen one?" She tilted her head to one side, eyeing David carefully.

 

For all he knew, she could have been up all night partying. It seemed likely enough given her age, but the answer seemed too easy.

 

"Has anyone seen one? Are you kidding? Half the people here say they've encountered them and on more than one occassion. As far as anyone is concerned, they exist. Now there's still some skeptics, but you know how alluring bandwagons can be. Have you seen a werewolf, miss?"

 

"No," she stated, a bit too quickly on the end of his sentence. She looked as though she was about to say something more, but then she grimaced. She looked like she was getting a headache; she touched her fingers to her temple for a moment, then seemed to shake it off.

 

"I'm done talking," she said snippily. "I just want to eat and get out of here." She then deliberately turned away from him.

 

Just when he thought he was getting somewhere with her, she answers his question with almost unsettling abruptness. For someone who was curious, she didn't seem like someone who would want to share her thoughts on the matter.

 

A look of concern came to him as he watched her actions. It still amazed him how quickly he could change his mindset when he saw someone in pain. He was largely unperturbed by her snippy comments.

 

"Partying hard last night, were we?" David asked. He couldn't make a diagnosis without getting all the details. She could be dehydrated or worse.

 

She still didn't look at him. She let out an aggravated sigh through her nose. She didn't go into public places too often, not if it could be avoided. She really, really didn't want to be here right now, and the more this waiter kept asking questions, the less she wanted to be here. In fact, she wanted to tell him to forget her order; she could easily walk right back out the door right now. That would be easiest.

 

Besides, what had she been thinking coming here anyway? She had been curious about rumors, for her own reasons. But... this guy was really starting to get on her nerves.

 

"No," she told him, "I was not out partying last night." At least she wouldn't let it be said that she went out and got drunk as a skunk. She had worse problems to deal with.

 

"I see," David said almost completely forgetting that he was supposed to be a waiter diligently taking and getting people's orders. His eyes became thoughtful. Maybe there was nothing seriously wrong with her, but his gut feeling told him differently. "Well perhaps food would do you some good. I don't suppose you'd mind indulging me a bit further?" David said taking a seat right across from her. "I promise I won't bite."

 

She was nervous, agitated, annoyed--he knew all these things yet he could not simply let the matter rest. Too many things didn't add up. For all he knew she could living with an abusive husband. Who knows? The scar on her neck didn't seem proper and she seemed a bit disheveled. She may not have known it, but she was crying out for help and he was determined to answer her call.

 

The very moment he sat down she became visably upset. She stared at him for a long moment, eyeing him almost the way a trapped animal might. The idea of putting up with his questions in order to get a hot meal, the first one she would have had in ages, was almost tempting enough to make her stay here at this place that made her uncomfortable.

 

But now....

 

She stood straight up and moved away, out of arm's reach. "Forget it, just... forget I was ever here." She pressed her lips into a thin line and spun on her heel, already moving toward the door.

 

She thought she heard him call out to her, perhaps asking her to wait, but her attention was drawn to an older gentleman who came in through the door. He was a shrunken old man, though hardly withered; he still had some meat on his bones despite appearing old and frail.

 

Despite her efforts to avoid contact with him, he stumbled and bumped into her. Since she severely disliked being touch in any way, she instinctively reacted by backing up; she pressed herself against the wall. The older man caught his balance easily enough, as if he'd planned to bump into her like that.

 

"You!" the old man pointed. "It's you, isn't it?"

 

David had no idea that she was simply leave like that. It sent up red flags in his mind. A person with something to hide might react the same way, but maybe he was just jumping to conclusions. He called out for her to wait, but she obviously hadn't heard or just didn't want to. She'd come all this way to get some food and he hadn't even been able to do that for her. Not to mention, it didn't reflect well on a waiter to have customers running away like that. Real smooth, Banner, he thought to himself.

 

All of a sudden, the old man walked in and David watched the scene unfold. He stood up then and walked forth before the woman could say anything. Not that she seemed scared just...well, she seemed utterly disgusted. Perhaps she didn't like older men intruding on her personal space--that didn't surprise him, though. He didn't like the smell of it; obviously the man had bumped into her purposefully.

 

"Now what is the meaning of this?" David asked directly to the older man.

 

The older man gave David a look, almost as if David was interrupting something important. "You just stay out of this, young man," the older guy said in the kind of tone that a grumpy old Grandpa might use.

 

"What do you want?" the girl asked stiffly, never taking her eyes off the older man. Her entire body had gone rigid.

 

"It's you, isn't it?" The older man took a step forward--closer to her, but not too close. She looked even more uncomfortable, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the overly friendly waiter watching closely. "You're one of them. Ya can't fool these old eyes, child." The old man pointed to his face with his index finger. "I know what you are, yes I does! You're one of those--"

 

"Shut. Up." Those two words grated through the girl's teeth with venom. "Stay away from me, and leave me alone." She looked even more upset now than she had been when the waiter was asking questions. She looked visably shaken.

 

"Fine," the old man said with a little shrug. "I want no trouble with your kind. Just remember though... if I've figured it out, it won't be long before others do, too. Even fools can eventually figure out that two plus two equals six." With that the older man gave her one final look, then he shrugged and turned away. A moment later, he walked out the door.

 

The young woman let out a breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding. She slumped slightly against the wall, staring at the door with an expression of mild horror. For the moment, she was too shaken to even move from that spot.

 

David's voice broke her out of her mental fog; she flinched, having forgotten he was even there. She eyed him warily, uncomfortable with his close proximity. "Did you say something?" she asked distractedly. Her tone actually seemed to imply, Get away from me and let me get it back together.

 

David watched the older man with curiosity. The look that she had given the man--he knew for a fact that she was hiding something. David was familiar with secrets and judging by her actions, it had to be a rather personal one. He wondered if he should press her further into telling him about herself. But then would he be alright with simply letting things stay the way they were now? Should he let her be? A woman who seemed so shaken and in need of help. He knew what the answer would be. For the time being, he cleared his mind of all doubts and decided he'd do what he did best.

 

"Don't let that man bother you so much. Folks can say whatever they like about you, but as long as they have no real proof, they're like cactus with no spines. Must you leave so soon? You've only just made your order."

 

She let out a breath. She eyed him warily for a moment, then she seemed to focus inwardly as she regained her composure. She wanted to get out of here and go off somewhere, preferably an area without people. There was a nearby forest, on the other side of the local park, where she often spent time alone.

 

Why in the world did she come here, anyway? Did she really miss being around regular people that much? Maybe so. But coming here had been stupid, especially since everyone was talking about werewolves, and at least one person suspected the truth about her.

 

"I... I just want to go." She rubbed her temple warily; the echo of a headache was still starting to bother her.

 

"Miss, I must insist otherwise," he began slowly, "It won't take very long and I'm sure you'll feel much better if you do--on the house."

 

He might have taken her by the hand, but he sensed that she did not want to be touched and he did not want to further startle her. Surely, he could at least do this much for her.

 

She blinked, surprised. "On the house?" It wasn't every day a waiter made her that kind of offer. Either was overstepping his bounds, or he was offering to pay for it himself, out of his own pocket. Either way, part of her figured a free meal was no skin off her nose.

 

She sighed. After the way last night went, and the way this morning had been so far, she really didn't feel like running around the woods or figuring out what to do with herself for the rest of the day, at least not yet. She still needed to find her "sister", but that could wait. She came here to try and wind down and act something like a normal person for once, maybe she still could. Even if she'd already blown it.

 

She didn't like being out in public. She hated it. But... part of her did miss being around people, even if she'd nearly forgotten how to interact normally over the past few months.

 

"I guess," she finally said. She did want to sit down for a bit. She gave a little shrug and headed back to her original seat, even if she moved with reluctance.

 

Once she was seated, she cast him a look. "But do me a favor and don't annoy me. You... wouldn't like me much if I get upset." She looked away, leaving it at that.

 

"I'll do my best," he said with a half smile.

 

With that, he finally went to the back to pass on the order to the chefs. He took trays of food to other customers he was serving while he was at it. There was a table right behind the one the young lady was sitting with two older ladies. One of them looked at him critically as he sat down the steak and eggs platter. He'd worked there for so long that even the smell of hot, juicy steak was lost on him.

 

"Young man, you better watch your back," the old lady said shakily.

 

"Thanks, I will," David said a little confused with her.

 

"I saw what you did for her--better to stay out of that girl's business, take it from me."

 

"And what exactly would you mean by that?" David asked back politely. He wondered if the woman was listening seeing as they were talking directly about her, but it was hard to tell since her back was turned to him.

 

As if the old lady was oblivious to her proximity to the woman she was talking about, she countinued, "A lot of bad things happens around her," then the woman spoke a little softer, "Werewolves," she hissed. "Stay away from her--she's bad news."

 

"Well," David said still smiling, "Why don't you let me be the judge of that? Enjoy your food, mam."

 

Before the older lady could say anything more, David was already leaving going back to get his final order--the one that he was to pay for seeing as the restuarant was far too tightpocketed to ever offer to pay for an entire meal. Pancakes and sausage--the savory scent once again wasted on him, but it was savory nonetheless. He took it to her where she sat and gently placed the plate on the table.

 

She glanced up at him, and then she looked at the plate. She swiped at the corners of her eyes impatiently, hoping he didn't notice that she had teared up a little. She'd gotten pretty good at keeping herself contained in public, more or less... when she was in public anyway. It embarrassed her that a little bit of gossip had bothered her that much. Then again, she'd already had a rough night, and she was having a rough morning.

 

Well, such is life. Especially the way her life was nowadays, ever since that fateful night seven months ago...

 

"Yeah, thanks," she said simply. She cast a glance at him, then seemed to dismiss his presence as she picked up her fork. It really did smell good.

 

His eyes softened when he noteced her tears. She must have been paying attention--she must have heard the entire thing. All this talk of werewolves, though, he was starting to wonder if it held any truth to it. Of course, he wouldn't ask her straigt out. It would require some tact to earn any trust from someone so tightmouthed, but he thought he was beginning to see the big picture. Whether there were wolves involved or not, something bad must have happened to her. Something told him that that scar of hers was related. The way she acted around others, the way others acted around her, there must have been a major event that occurred that did not sit well with the other folks. All of this were assumptions, but surely some of it had to be correct.

 

"I'm sorry you had to hear that. They don't seem to like you much around here."

 

She eyed him for a moment. "Yeah. Well." She picked up her knife and began to slice her pancakes into large chuncks. "I thought I'd be used to it by now," she muttered. She finished slicing up her food, more or less, and then cast David a sideways glance.

 

"They also say I eat like an animal," she said somewhat wryly. "So if that offends you," she gave a sarcastic shrug, "ya don't have to look." She then crammed a mouthful of pancakes into her mouth that was almost too much to chew.

 

"Oh, but I've seen so much worse," David said returning her wry manner. "Animals don't tend to bother with the cutlery, though. I'd say you were a step up."

 

He knew that he was spending far more time with her than what was proper for a waiter and was also aware of the anxious glances he recieved from a few of his fellow waiters and some customers. He could care less. She seemed harmless enough and no one seemed to be on her side. It was in his nature to side with the bullied.

 

She looked almost amused, as if thinking about something inside her mind that she couldn't share, or didn't want to share. Then she shook her head and resumed eating. She ate very quickly, as if she hadn't seen a hot meal for months, yet she had a knack for being able to eat fast and not get sick. It had something to do with her sped-up metabolsm.

 

Compared to what she normally ate sometimes, this was barely an appetizer. But it still tasted good.

 

She then polished off her water and wiped her mouth on her napkin. She then glared silently at a couple of patrons who were openly staring at her; they quickly averted her gaze. One rude individual continued to stare anyway. She was very, very tempted to flip that person the finger, but she decided not to stoop that low.

 

Besides... people had a right to be scared of her, in a way.

 

He had returned to his other customers that he had been waiting on. The one older lady continued to give him a strange look but he shrugged it off and feigned politeness. Resistng the urge to tell people off was one of his specialties. It was clearly a hostile environment when even a few of the waiters warned him of caution. But there was nothing wrong with her! At least not in the way others thoughtught. He simply couldn't tell from just looking at her.

 

He'd only been gone a few minutes when he returned to her table. Surprisingly enough she was already done. It was a lot for such a small woman, but she didn't seem at all bothered by this.

 

"Did you inhale everything?" David asked already taking up the empty plate. He might have offered her another if he had the money. Unfortunately, he did not. He worked off of tips alone.

 

She grunted. She looked mildly annoyed by that remark for some reason, but... she seemed to have loosened up ever so slightly around him. Not much, but apparently she appreciated the fact that he was being nice to her, when everybody else wasn't.

 

She sat in thoughtful silence for a moment, then she reached into the pocket of her jeans. "Hey, um..." She took out a neatly folded twenty-dollar bill, the only money she had. "I'd like you to have this. Call it a thank you." She held it out to him.

 

She figured he could use it more than her anyway. For one thing, whenever she became a wolf (which seemed inevitable, especially lately for some reason) she often went on almost wild feeding frenzies in the forest, feeding on deer, rabbits, and... whatever else she could get her teeth and claws on. Then she would spend hours in her human form feeling sick to her stomach and writhing in pain as her stomach, muscles and nerves tried to re-adjust. It seemed like her system was still trying to get used to her new werewolf nature. At least she no longer passed out for a full day anymore after returning to human form, though. That was progress.

 

Besides, he'd been very nice to her. This would be her good deed of the day, especially since... she would probably end up exploding out of her clothes at some point and losing the money anyway. It would better served going to someone who could really use it.

 

David was taken aback by the amount she had given him. What would have possessed her to do such a thing. Treating another with respect--that didn't require a reward even if it was in short supply.

 

"This is too much. I can't accept this," David said as he shook his head. "I'm sure you'll be able to find better use of it elsewhere."

 

It didn't sit right with taking such an amount from someone he had just offered charity to. There was one thing he knew, for sure though, he was beginning to gain her trust.

 

She shook her head and refused to take it back, even when he tried to hand it to her. "Nah," she said, deliberately avoiding him and his hand. "You keep it," she insisted firmly, and she stood.

 

Despite all the other people around here--all of the paranoid weirdos and the stuck up people who'd chosen not to trust her--this guy seemed... okay. Perhaps new to town. She simply hoped that if he stuck around for a while, that he wouldn't become contaminated by the way the weirdos thought...

 

Who was she kidding? No matter what he was like, she couldn't afford to befriend anybody. No matter where she went, no matter who she tried to go to for help... the same things always happened in the end. She ended up morphing into a wolf, and then her so-called friends would avoid her like the plague or, at worst, try to do away with her. Especially since her "sister" was much meaner, and tended to instigate trouble.

 

It made her feel all the more that if she could do something nice, she could. She shook her head when she saw him begin to protest, and cut him off. "Just keep it," she repeated, and she moved away from the table. "Thanks for everything, and well..." She shrugged, as if this was going to be goodbye for good. "Have a good day." Something about the way she said that, and her entire demeaner, strongly suggested that she was terminating whatever rapport or potential friendship he had established with her.

 

She turned and began to walk away, toward the door.

 

For just a moment, David watched as she turned away from him. She had seemed determined to give him the money and she would not take no for an answer. Now she was simply leaving. Could he really leave things the way they were now? He took a quick about the place and saw the looks of distrust sometimes even animosity as they took notice of her. Why did she elicit such responses from people? Why was she so dangerous to be around? From where he stood, she appeared harmless and wrongly accused. He knew it was dangerous to stick his nose where it didn't belong, but he knew he would do so anyway. It was his way. He stopped himself before he reached out and grabbed her hand--he had noted earlier that she didn't like being touched. Instead, he caught her attention by catching back up with her before she reached the door.

 

"Do you have anything else planned for the day?" he asked casually as if it was the obvious thing to ask to a woman who desperately wanted to leave.

 

She hesitated a moment and blinked, as though even she hadn't thought much about that yet. She cast him a look, annoyed that he was still trying to butt into her business when she had already said goodbye. "Sleep," she finally said with a shrug. "Like I said I was... up all night." Yeah, the only question was a matter of where. Probably just on a park bench, or possibly in her favorite hideaway.

 

The biggest problem with park benches was that was where the bolder and more ruffian types sometimes liked to pick on her or try to goad her. And of course, there were the pigeons...

 

David could tell from her hesitation that he had caught her off guard. "Rest is a good thing especially for you, but it sounds to me like you'd be completely bored afterwards. Listen, I have a few more hours here, why don't we go someplace when I get off of work?" David suggested as if it was the most proper thing to do at that moment.

 

He could care less that others might hear. He simply did not want to let her go without knowing that they might meet again soon.

 

When she opened her mouth, it definitely seemed that the first thing she would say is "no" outright. But for some reason she hesitated. Maybe she was just that lonely, but the offer was tempting... especially compared to the way the rest of the town treated her.

 

Maybe as long as she kept her guard up, and didn't get her hopes up, she could at least hang out with him for the afternoon or evening later, if he really wanted to. She would just have to be prepared for him to turn on her if he... well, found out.

 

"I'll... be sleeping on the park bench, near that big oak tree in the park," she finally said. "When you get done here, and if you still want to look for me... maybe I'll still be there then." She didn't really wait for an answer, she headed for the door.

 

David watched her leave abruptly. It was more than he thought he would get from her. When she mentioned the park bench, he began to understand her situation more. Then again, it was a nice day--maybe she simply liked sleeping outside. He sincerely doubted it, but it was never good to jump to conclusions about people. Either way, he knew he was going to see her again and that was all the answer he needed. He had noted the word 'maybe' as if it wasn't set in stone, but David highly doubted that she wouldn't be there. Even loners didn't mind company from time to time and David pegged her as an extreme loner.

 

David went back to his customers and began to get back into the routine. Without even trying, she had already disrupted the normalcy he had managed to accomplish for himself for the last few weeks. He had established a place to live, an adequate job, and even attained some outside acquaintances. Building a life even if it was a false one, seemed simple enough for David. It was a monotonus routine for him. Every new town he came to, he would go through the same rigamarol and sometimes not in the same order and probably not so quickly. In every new town, there seemed to be someone in need. They never called out to him specifically but he could innately sense it as if he were drawn to trouble. That woman, disregarding all that had been said behind her back, was trouble and he was drawn to it like a bee to its honey.

 

The hours passed quickly as his mind moved on from the woman and focused on the work at hand. As long as he had something to do, he could continue the big lie of a life he strove to maintain. He'd meet her again soon and perhaps by then she might have become more open. Who knows?--she might even allow him to help her.

 

After she left, she went for a twenty-five minute walk to the park, as she said she would. She could only hope that she wasn't about to draw trouble to herself. Considering how much these townsfolk liked to gossip, they might yap about how she said she would be in the park today. At least, if any of them were paying attention when she mentioned it to the waiter.

 

Well, maybe it would mean they would avoid the park like the plague, who knew. Unless some of them wanted to instigate trouble with her. Apparently some of the teenage kids in the area liked to approach her as some sort of dare. As if going near her while she slept, or throwing things at her as she walked down the street was a proof of bravery or something. Whatever. At least they'd been leaving her alone lately.

 

She found her park bench and simply curled up on it, resting her head against her arm. The large oak tree's branches stretched over her, providing adequate shade from the intense sunlight. She slept soundly several hours, thankfully without disturbance or interruption.

 

David walked home first to change out of his work clothes. He took a shower so that he might at least smell nice after such a long day. When he stepped outside, he thought about where the park might be. There was a park nearby that he vaguely remembered had a large tree. He just hoped that it was an oak tree. Full of purpose, he strolled down the sidewalk at jaunty pace. He simply knew that she would be there. Why would she not?

 

He arrived at the park in no time and then began down the main path, his eyes constantly sweeping the area for large trees until he found one with a bench near it. This had to be the place. His pace slowed as he approached. As he became closer, he made out her form.

 

She was just beginning to stir from a sound sleep. She always seemed to fall into a deep sleep for at least a few hours after a night of being a wolf, as her body was still trying to adapt even after seven months. She moved a little, blinking in the sunlight; she yawned.

 

At least she felt refreshed. Someday, she kept promising herself, she would be at the same level as her "sister". She'd oneday be able to not only morph at will, but also be able to do so without getting sick to her stomach or experiencing muscle pains whenever she did it.

 

However, a rude gesture brought her fully to awareness. Apparently one of the teenagers she'd grown wary of had begun to sneak toward her bench as she rested. The punk had an apple in his hand; he threw it at her from a distance and it hit her in the shoulder.

 

She sat straight up, grunting and looking swiftly around. The teenager, a scruffy boy of about sixteen, was already backing off; he looked at her as if expecting to see something, then he turned and bolted.

 

Irritated and now wide awake, she leaped up from the bench and glared in the punk's direction; that caused him to run even faster.

 

David watched this from a distance and shook his head at the audacity of the teen. Was there something wrong with this town? How could such a large majority be against her? He realized as his pace increased and he was about to yell out her name, that he did not know it. She had not given it and he had never asked. The same could be said vice versa. To think, he had decided to hang out with a girl who he had no idea what to call. The funny part was that she had agreed. She must have been okay with their anonymity. Everyone had always referred to her as "that girl" as if it was her proper name, but David knew better.

 

"I guess he doesnt know any better," David said when he was within earshot.

 

She turned sharply in his direction when he spoke. She eyed him with an odd expression for a moment, as if somewhat amazed that he still showed up. "Yeah. Well." She slowly sank down onto the edge of the bench, sitting somewhat rigidly. "I've had worse, trust me." She rolled her eyes, and folded her arms.

 

"So what other delightful things did they tell you about me at your workplace?" she asked. "I'm sure they must've said something."

 

David took a seat next to her keeping a respectable distance. He sat back on the bench with his legs set apart becoming as comfortable as one could manage on such a hard bench. "Oh more of the same," David said brushing off the question. "Nothing you'd want dwell on anyway. I'm sure you must get tired of it, don't you? Having everyone look at you a certain way and not being able to do anything about it."

 

She seemed a bit wary when he sat down, but at least he didn't sit too close. Plus the fact that she was in a wide open space this time with the forest within sprinting distance made her a lot more comfortable. This spelled safety to her, and freedom, rather than being inside walls with a lot of people who didn't like her.

 

Going there had been a mistake, and a big one. But... maybe it hadn't been all bad, since she had met a friendly face. How long he stayed friendly toward her, that was the question.

 

"Well," she said, "they might be right, you know. Maybe I am bad news." She looked at him. "So do you really think you should be taking a chance out here like this?"

 

David only glanced at the other, his eyes settling on the darkening skies. "Is anyone ever safe," he said distantly. "Besides, you don't seem as bad as they say at least from what I've seen. Let them have their suspicions--I'd rather deal in truth. So will you keep me in the dark?--What is your name already?"

 

She didn't answer immediately, almost as though simply asking her name was pressing for a bit too much info. Or perhaps she simply wasn't used to people asking for her name. "Jill," she said after a few moments, though she offered no last name. Surprisingly she didn't ask him what his name was.

 

In truth, she figured it didn't matter in the long run if she knew his name or not. If he wanted to offer it, then fine. But she was already prepared for the fact that they probably wouldn't be on speaking terms for very long anyway.

 

"Jill," he repeated almost to himself. "Straightforward. Just in case you weren't paying attention to my nametag at work, my name would be Darem." He neglected to tell her his last name feeling that it might be too much. Besides, one false name was enough. He didn't know the woman well enough to simply give away his identity, the one he had taken great pains to conceal.

 

"Is this where you always spend your nights? You have a great view of the horizon."

 

He thought he might keep the conversation light for the time being. There were still burning questions he wanted to ask, but he feared asking them all would seem too pushy and she might close herself up again. If she could just lend him her trust....

 

"Yep," she replied quite simply, gazing at the forest. She said nothing else. It made her realize that maybe she was more out of touch with civilization than she thought, even though it had only been seven months since her life changed forever. It felt like a lot longer, so maybe it was enough.

 

She had always been an introvert, but her anti-social tendencies had grown more severe since that fateful day. Small talk seemed pointless and it lead nowhere, even though she had been lonely for a long time.

 

What else could she really say, or talk about? He wouldn't understand anything anyway. She shifted her position a bit on the edge of the bench, eyeing her shoes. Yeah, shoes. One of the most annoying things that she had to replace semi-regularlly.

 

David noticed her actions beside him. She didn't quite look nervous. She looked more like she was out of her element. Perhaps she was, David realized. What sort of person could she be, if even small talk was foreign to her.

 

"Sorry for not asking earlier, but how was your day? Mine was pretty uneventful even with all the gossip."

 

"Fine... I spent most of the day sleeping." She gazed up at the sky; the sun was just setting beyond the horizon, causing a colorful display of reds and golds on the clouds. She always felt that Mother Nature painted her own pretty pictures, far better than any human could draw.

 

She focused on the sky, and then the forest. She found herself smiling a little. Perhaps it was due to the wolfish part of her nature, but... the forest always called to her, especially at night. She stood, gazing intently at the trees.

 

"I want to go for a walk," she said, almost excitedly as she looked at the trees.

 

"Finally, something that excites you," David said as he stood up. "But why must it be the dark, forbidding forest?"

 

Jill actually chuckled. "Oh... it's not that bad." She began to walk forward almost eagerly, as though she were walking toward her favorite place in the entire town. "It's uh... where I spend most of my free time actually." Yeah, she had too much free time... and a good portion of it was devoted to trying to master her werewolf nature. And when she wasn't doing that, she was trying to find her "sister."

 

"I suppose I'll have to take your word for it," David said as she began to make her way.

 

Not only was it dark and forbidding in David's eyes, it was also getting dark outside. He wondered how in the world he might find his way in there once the sun truly set and the night dominated the skies. He followed her not wanting to leave her alone.

 

"You must have a lot of free time on your hands to be able to explore all of this."

 

"Too much," she allowed as they passed the first few trees. An odd look filled her eyes as they began to move deeper into the forest; she moved with swiftness and yet great care, as if she were used to finding her footing in such a place. "Sometimes I've spent days... even weeks out here at once," she admitted. "I know how to survive out there, and I can live and thrive out here better than almost anyone else."

 

The only exception was her "sister", and possibly any other werewolves who might be around. If there were... her "sister" had not deigned to tell her yet.

 

She moved swiftly and David struggled to keep up. He felt more like a bear crashing through the woods to her gazelle-like movements. He heard as she spoke of the great lengths of time she spent in this forest. It would explain her aloof nature, at the very least. Then again, even someone who was at peace with the forest needed the company of others or else she would not have come to the restaurant that day.

 

"Thats good to hear. Perhaps we won't find ourselves lost before the night is over," David said just barely able to keep pace.

 

"I never get lost," she said almost boastfully as they went. If anything she began to move even faster, to the point where it seemed like she might leave David behind.

 

Finally though, she actually came to a stop. She now stood in the middle of a small clearing with a stream flowing through the center of it. A couple of frogs leaped into the water upon her approach, and a few tiny fish could be seen swimming along the edge of the gentle current.

 

It became evident that this was one of her favorite spots to be when she seemed to relax completely, sitting down on the grass near the stream. She ran her fingers across a clump of clovers in a casual fashion and inhaled deeply, basking in the scent of the forest. As a gentle breeze blew through her short black hair, she tilted her head to one side.

 

If a human could ever look so at peace and so... "one" with nature, somehow Jill managed to appear exactly that at this very moment.

 

David was glad when she finally stopped. He stood for a moment catching his breath and watched as she made herself comfortable. She seemed completely in her element as if she belonged here. A farcry from her tenseness earlier that day in the restaurant. David took a moment to look around as well. He could appreciate nature when it seemed so tranquil. It was as if he'd been transported to another world completely separate from the tidy, convenient life he had built for himself once again. It was a nice change of pace. He sat down as well beside her. He decided it was still far too soon to sit any closer than he had been at the bench despite her guard being down at the moment.

 

"So, you must visit this place a lot," David said still coaxing information out of the other. That she spent her free time in a forest was strange enough, but that scar he saw across her neck was even stranger.

 

"Yep," she said, in the exact same tone she'd used when he tried to make small talk with her before. She shifted a bit as she folded her legs underneath her. She was silent for a moment, then she spoke again. "I really like it out here. It's quiet, I don't have to be around people, and well..."

 

She trailed off and shrugged. "I can be myself out here and I don't have to worry about what other people think of me." She left it at that.

 

David made himself a bit more comfortable as he stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back on his arms. "You don't seem to like other people, do you?" he replied in an objective tone.

 

"Why should I? Nobody understands what I've been through... or what's happened to me." She looked agitated, as though talking about it upset her a bit. In truth, she wasn't used to talking about it much anyway.

 

She grabbed a handful of grass and ripped it up, squeezing it in her hand. "Let's just say I have a personal problem, and nobody understands. And nobody can help me." She threw the grass blades into the stream. Her entire demeaner strongly suggested that he shouldn't even try to pry, because it wouldn't do any good. He couldn't help anyway.

 

"Well, let me ask you this: have you ever given someone the chance to understand? Have you ever trusted someone enough to do so?"

 

He hadn't even so much as look at her. He found more solace in the stream before him.

 

She sucked in a deep breath through her nose. The question aggravated her... and somehow it hurt a little, too. "There are some things that people just don't understand," she said stiffly. "If you give them a chance, they just..."

 

She pushed herself to her feet, clenching her hands into fists. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drive off an unwanted memory. Stay calm, she told herself. She couldn't lose control of herself now. Not in front of him, at least.

 

"Why are you out here, anyway?" she demanded. "What's this to you?"

 

David looked up with concern as she stood. He could practically smell the tension rolling off of her. And he recognized that look--the desparation of someone who wanted to remain calm no matter what.

 

"I'm here because I want to be. Besides, I had nothing better to do. Maybe I noticed that you needed company. I have a good eye for loners. That is what you are, am I right?"

 

"Look," she said a bit more calmly, "you're being really nice, and... I appreciate it." She swallowed, and looked directly at him. "But I know you wouldn't like me at all if you knew... about my problem."

 

She stared into the stream for a moment, then in a sudden movement--and almost deer-like sprint--she leaped across it. The stream was just narrow enough and her jump was lengthy enough for her to clear it without getting wet. With the water now between them, she turned to look at him again.

 

"Look... thanks for being nice to me, but I think I'd better go. Just... go back to the town and your room or whatever you have. Be glad you can live a normal life." She turned away and began to walk in the opposite direction.

 

David had wanted to say something before she abruptly jumped across the stream and now the moment was broken just when he was beginning to scratch the surface of her isolation. At least he could certain about one thing: she did have a problem--one that forced her to live a life of solitude. Perhaps this problem was so big, so out of her hands that she saw no other way to deal with it. David was familiar with people such as her. At least he thought he did. He could never be sure, but he rarely jumped to outrageous conclusions. He'd seen the scar and the woman seemed downright unapproachable on most occasions. Could it be abuse? Maybe it was something worse. He couldn't be sure.

 

David stood up then. She seemed unstable. He didn't want to leave her just yet, but he also knew that he would not be taking any mighty leaps over streams. He'd have to get wet if he planned on following her. How serious was he abut this?

 

He nearly laughed out loud when he heard her describe his life as normal. If only she knew. No, he'd stay. He'd pursue her. It was the least he could even if it did get on her last set of nerves.

 

"Wait, Jill, do you really expect to leave just like that? I can't go back, not in good conscience anyway. The night is still young."

 

"Just go away," Jill stated, taking a few more steps. She glanced over her shoulder at him, talking as she walked. "If it makes you feel any better, just know that I'm always fine out here. I've learned to take care of myself."

 

She wasn't watching where she was going. She didn't see the risen root that was directly in her path; her foot caught on it, and she stumbled forward.

 

And she landed in a small briar patch, thorns scraping against her hands and poking into her arms. She hissed through her teeth as pain and discomfort made itself felt. This, along with her agitated state, was enough to completely set her off.

 

For a split-second, nothing happened. Then it happened all at once. Light silver fur rippled into place as she literally burst out of her clothes; a large wolf-like creature stood in her place. She snarled.

 

    When she had fallen, David had already leaped into action. Without a second thought, he had plunged into the icy water and staggered his way across. By the time he had climbed back out of the water, he was presented with the sight of a fiersome looking wolf. It caught him completely off guard. How in the world had it gotten there so quickly and why was it so large? But there was more pressing matters. Where was Jill? His fear was minimal. He was in the middle of nowhere and Jill seemed wholly unresponsive or worse. He crept forward cautiously.

    "Jill!" he called out, "Are you alright?"

    He could make out tattered strips of her clothing and he realized the worst could have happened. He looked steadily at the wolf. He may not have been afraid, but he was no fool. Any sudden movement could set it off.

 

The she-wolf turned to look at him when she heard her name called. Her ears flattened against her skull as she regarded him for a long moment. Well, her first day in the forest with a friendly person, and she'd already blown it.

 

However, her anger and irritation faded slightly when she noticed the look on his face. He was frightened of her, but he also seemed to be looking for something. Hadn't he seen her transform?

 

She snorted, giving her furry head a toss. It really didn't matter either way. It was better for him to go. She didn't want to hurt him or freak him out too much, but she did want him gone. She stood up on all fours and slowly turned to face him. She made no move toward him, but she did bare her teeth and let out a long, low growl. Just get out of here already, she thought.

 

David didn't know what to make of the large wolf. It had seemed to respond to his call, but maybe he had simply startled it. He wanted to get closer to the scene, but he could already tell that the wolf was on guard. They were at a stand still. He decided that if he at least appeared to be backing down, the wolf might lose interest in him altogether. Then a thought struck him--a crazy, illogical one, but a thought nonetheless. He still looked at the wolf.

 

"Jill?" he said questioningly and watched if the wolf might give him any reason to believe what he was thinking in that instance.

 

Maybe he simply didn't want her to be gone. Maybe he wanted to believe that her death wasn't so obvious. He had been right there. So close and yet so far away. Just like that tumbling car...

 

The enormous wolf eyes flickered and the ears immediately perked up, erect. The bared teeth vanished as the wolf closed her mouth, and she tilted her head to one side. Why was he still standing there? Why wasn't he running away? Was he actually... addressing her?

 

Not quite sure what to think for the moment, she very slowly lowered herself into a sitting position, maintaining eye contact. She studied him intently with keen, intelligent eyes.

 

Perhaps the wolf had responded, but David couldn't be sure. He stepped a little closer careful not to take his eyes off of it. He had read somewhere that animals responded better to authority--not that he could have any sort of authority over such a large creature, but it was worth a try.

 

"Are you here," he asked a bit anxiously, "Are you Jill? Give me some kind of sign."

 

He could still see her shredded clothing on the ground. He no longer wanted to think of the alternative. He'd rather that his ludicrious idea was correct. At the very least she'd be alive. No matter how crazy he sounded at the moment, for some reason his brain would not accept any other explanation. Not for a moment. Or else...

 

For a long moment she simply sat there, perfectly still except for an eye flicker and an ear twitch. Was this guy crazy, or just too curious for his own good? In Jill's experience, most people would have run away screaming, or... if they were especially bold, they would have attacked her. She had never met anyone who simply seemed... curious like this.

 

Then again this guy was new to the area; he wasn't like the other people around town. She'd been certain that it was simply because he didn't buy into the mindset, and he didn't seem like the type to believe in werewolves. But now...

 

She eyed him for a moment longer, then she rose from her haunches and carefully moved toward him. She stepped forward until their faces were merely two feet apart, yet she did not raise her snout or bare her teeth; she simply put her eyes and forehead near his face, as if gazing into his soul.

 

Jill had no idea if her experiment was working or if the message was getting across. Her manner was not threatening, but it was a challenge. In her own way she was trying to communicate, Do you really believe it's me? If so, can you really handle this side of me without freaking out?

 

The wolf had come so close now. It didn't seem natural for a wild animal to act in this way. His was no expert in such things, but surely a wolf such a this--an equally unnaturally large one--would have thought him a threat. He had been prepared for the situation to turn sour, but it had not.

 

His eyes strayed to where he had last seen her, but he began to notice something or rather he began to notice the lack of something: blood. As far as he could tell, there was nothing of the sort. It didn't exactly prove anything concrete, but it did make his halfbaked assumption seem far less like insanity.

 

He'd only lost sight of her for a second or two. What exactly could have happened that in that brief span of time that her clothes would be so hopelessly shredded and that there would be a large wolf standing in her stead? Surely that meant...

 

"You must be her then. Call me crazy, wolf, but I think you're her transformed."

 

The she-wolf took a step back and sat on her haunches, regarding him for a moment. If a wolf could give a derisive snort, she managed. She cocked her head to one side, as if to ask, What now? But then... something caught her attention.

 

A young buck, most likely a year or two old, had wandered into the clearing, apparently for a drink. It was several meters away, and it had apparently not known that a human and a large predator was there; it was young and inexperienced for such an animal, after all.

 

The buck's head snapped up in their direction. It then turned to run... but it didn't get very far.

 

Hunger burned in Jill's stomach like it always did when she became a wolf. Instinct seemed to take over as she bounded away from David, and she was suddenly on top of the buck. In a swift motion, suddenly the deer's neck was snapped, giving it a quick and merciful death.

 

Without any hesitation whatsoever, the she-wolf towered over her fresh kill and began to devour it swiftly. Her teeth ripped the flesh from the carcus in a decidedly un-human fashion.

 

David felt a rush of wind whip passed him as soon as the buck came into the clearing. In fact, he hadn't even noticed the buck was there before the wolf ran off towards it. He turned to look just in time to see the large wolf make its kill with precise ability. It all happened so quickly that David could scarcely believe it. It was a scene pulled straight from National Geographic and he did not think in all his life that he would be so close to such an occurance.

 

If this was Jill, she showed little sign of her humanity at this point, but then how exactly could a wolf feed in a humanly fashion? David wasn't put off, more that he was shocked and could only stare at the wolf's vicious talent. That could have been him. At any moment, the wolf could decide that he was food or some kind of enemy and he'd be dead in a second. The way the wolf tore so relentlessly at the buck's flesh, David knew that he would hardly have time to transform and if he did manage to do as much Hulk would be damaged as well. While he could heal quickly, not quickly enough to really defend himself. David didn't understand Hulk's personality altogether, but he certainly didn't seem like the one to run even if escape happened to be the better part of valor. Simply put, David would be in mortal danger if the wolf suddenly turned on him.

 

But he had felt no animosity from the creature. Even now before him, it all seemed like instinct rather than malicious intent. He didn't think it wise to interrupt a creature so intently feeding so he waited for her to finish her meal.

 

She finished eating after just a few minutes; most of the bones had been completely stripped clean. She had even bitten off a few of the bones and crunched them down, swallowing them. Eventually she moved away from the remains and licked her chops, glancing around.

 

For a moment she almost seemed... oblivious, or perhaps confused, as if she was trying to remember what she was doing. She moved closer to the stream and took a good, long drink of the cool water.

 

When her thirst was quenched she glanced up again--and then her eyes locked onto David. She blinked and stared, as if she'd forgotten he was even there.

 

In truth, she had. What in the world was he still doing there, especially after seeing that barbaric display? Most people who'd figured out she was a werewolf, or seen her transform, didn't stick around this long unless they had a shotgun (or something worse) and were trying to take her down.

 

She tossed her furry head, and then took several steps back. She cast him another look, then she considered her options. Finally, she turned around completely and made a beeline for a very specific bush just a few meters away.

 

She had prepared for situations where she might lose her clothes. Therefore, she had a few "caches" where she hid clothes... one of them happened to be nearby. She matter-of-factly reached into the bush with her snout and pulled out a bundle between her fangs. The clothes were carefully wrapped inside plastic in order to protect them from the elements.

 

Once she removed the tightly wrapped bundle from its hiding place, she sat on her haunches and dropped it before her. Then she stared at it. Then she glanced at David, who was still nearby.

 

Was she going to transform right now, and get dressed? With this guy nearby? She growled, not sure if she wanted him to see her... well, without clothes on. It didn't matter if you were covered with fur, but in human form...

 

She seemed more wolflike than human yet she seemed in control somewhat. He was still standing, first of all, but he did not miss the warning look she gave him even through wolf eyes. Was she to transform back at this instant of her own volition? He wanted to see it happen, but then he thought of his own transformation--she would be naked no doubt and, of course, she didn't know him to be a doctor. He'd seen it all before and he was perfectly capable of keeping an objective eye, but it was better not to upset the big, furry wolf who had enough strength to put a grizzly bear to shame. So he turned around if only for the sake of his life.

 

He thought of her scar; the one that she had on her neck. It had seemed so vicious...so animalistic. Could it have been the fateful scar that had left her like this? It seemed only natural to assume that it was so despite his dislike for jumping to conclusion. There was always a story and he wanted to hear it. The lore of werewolves seemed steeped in mysticism, but that scar was real, her transformation was real, there must be a scientific explanation. A gene mutation perhaps. An enzyme left behind that allows one to transform at will. There had to be something.

 

Jill eyed him for a few seconds to make sure he would keep his back turned. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated; she eased herself back into her human form. Then she gritted her teeth as the familiar, uncomfortable sensations threatened to overtake her. As her body continued to adapt to the werewolf virus, it got better and better with each transformation; someday she would barely feel any discomfort at all, if Melissa was any indication. But for now....

 

She bit down on her lower lip as she ripped open the plastic and pulled free the black shirt and sweat pants. Very, very simple and quick to put on. She threw the shirt on and then stood and jumped into the pants.

 

That was about as long as she could hold it off. Muscle and nerve pain kicked in full force; not as bad as it had a few months ago, but still pretty intense. That and the scar on her throat felt like it was on fire. Melissa attributed that the scar would always burn no matter what, from her experience.

 

Not only that but... Jill's stomach lurched. She still could never be sure if that was simply due to the virus, too, or if her human system just didn't take kindly to eating raw meat so quickly.

 

She eyed David for a moment; his back was still turned. She grunted; she did not want to show any weakness near him. It made her feel pathetic, especially since she didn't know him. What if he tried to do something to her, now that she was back in her helpless form?

 

Nevertheless she couldn't stand up anymore. She let herself go down, half-sitting, half-collasping on a pile of dead leaves. She propped herself up on an elbow and grimaced.

 

David counted to fifty before considering it safe to turn back around. She had on a change of clothes, of course, but she seemed considerably weakened--it was hard to hide such details from a physician's eye. He approached her and then squatted down to her level. There was no question about it, she was a werewolf. There was no use in getting overly excited about this fact. He doubt it would help the situation.

 

"Well, rumors have to start somewhere, don't they? And isn't there always some truth to them?" he asked rhetorically. "How are you feeling?"

 

The way she felt at the moment, she was no longer annoyed or aggravated by his presence. Her body hurt, she felt sick, and she felt tired. But still... questions burned within her.

 

She inhaled sharply as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "What's it to you?" she asked after a moment. "Why the hell are you still here, anyway? Most people..." She trailed off.

 

"I'm not most people," David replied firmly. "Now will you continue to keep me in the dark? How are you feeling?" he repeated.

 

Jill gave him a look of stubbornness, the eye of someone who was used to keeping things to herself. She simply sat there in silence for a long moment, then she felt wariness take its toll. She sighed and let herself lay on her side, relaxing just a bit more.

 

Besides... this guy hadn't run away screaming and he hadn't tried to harm her. That could always change, but for now...

 

"The way I always feel when I change back," she finally said, a bit snippily. "I hurt all over, I have a headache, I feel tired, and I can't tell yet if I'm going to throw up." She didn't bother to mention that seven months ago, the first time she transformed, she had passed out for a full day. That didn't seem relevent right now.

 

David began to think things over. The pain could be attributed to the toll the transformation must take on the physical body. She was, in fact, growing to a size much larger than what she was. The headache, the tiredness, the feeling of wanting to barf could all by symptoms of her body trying to reestablish it's normal, human functions--homeostasis at work.

 

"I can only make assumptions, but what you're feeling now seemes completely natural--if I can even use that word. But the human body is remarkably 'adaptable'. Perhaps in time you might not feel as bad...or not. Everyone's different. What happens for one person might not happen for another."

 

Would she stay here by herself in utter discomfort or would she consider sleeping indoors? Would she moved to crashing at his place if he so offered? Somehow he knew that she would think twice. Who wouldn't? So far, he was a complete stranger.

 

In a way, his words didn't really help her much. They simply made her think about things from a different angle. What if Melissa had been wrong, and it might take Jill even longer to fully adapt to being a werewolf? What if it took Jill two years to stop feeling sick and pained when it took Melissa only one year?

 

That thought did not sooth her much right now.

 

"Go away," she finally grunted, resting her head against her arm on the ground. "I can handle it from here, I always do."

 

"I'm sure you do, but it would ease my worry if you slept somewhere less...open."

 

"Worry?" That actually caused her to prop herself up on her elbow again and narrow her eyes at him. "You just saw me turn into something that's bigger than you, and you saw me rip a deer to shreds, and you're worried about where I'm sleeping tonight?" She shook her head. "What, you looking for a pet, or are you an animal tamer?"

 

Thunder crackled overhead; she hadn't even noticed that clouds had formed. She rolled her eyes. Wonderful.

 

"Jill, can you really be tamed?" David said with a grin. "Would you rather be left here soaked and even more uncomfortable than you really are? Or will you just come with me already. I won't bite."

 

She opened her mouth, and closed it. She seemed to consider his words for a moment. "I've been out here before on rainy nights," she pointed out. "And well..."

 

She hesitated. Then she decided that since, for whatever reasons he had, he was apparently going out on a limb for her despite what he'd seen... he deserved more of an explanation for her suspicious and anti-social nature.

 

"I haven't had very good experiences with people, ever since I... became like this," she told him. "You don't even know what happened to me in another part of this town. I had an entire lynch mob after me... and they had gasolene, and matches," She scowled. "I'm sure you can imagine what happened. Not a pretty picture."

 

She sighed. "And how they cornered me was... well." She looked at him severely. "Someone pretended to be nice to me. To understand what I was going through."

 

"People still do that sort of thing--gasoline and matches," David said as if ashamed, "I'm sorry that happened to you. All I have is my word, that's all. You'll just have to take your chances. I don't claim to understand what you're going through. I just want to help. When I see someone in need--even if they don't know it--I can't help myself."

 

"Whatever," Jill said, looking away from him. She gritted her teeth and pushed herself up, forcing herself to stand, even if she felt like she was going to fall over. She staggered a few steps away to a nearby tree that was more than large enough to support her; she leaned heavily against it.

 

"I'm... just not ready yet to put my trust in anybody," she finally said. "Sorry, but I've been burned too many times already. I've been shot at by rifles and shotguns... some of them even hit me. I've gotten hurt on bear traps when people tried to catch me, and I've had people come at me with knives. So..." She cast him a look that was angry, but also sad and wistful. "Sorry, but I'm just going to stay out here. Go on back to your cozy apartment or house."

 

Thunder crackled ahead; lightening flashed. A breeze picked up; the storm was getting closer.

 

Just as David opened his mouth to reply, she cut him off as another thought came to her. "Look," she added quickly, "I'm doing this for your own good, too. You've seen how people react to me, and I've told you what some of them tried to do to me. What if they start associating you with me? They might think you're a werewolf sympathizer or that you might be a werewolf yourself. I..."

 

She sighed, resting her temple against the rough tree bark as her headache intensified. "You seem nice," she allowed. "But I'm dangerous to be around because I might hurt you. Or other people might hurt you if they see you around me. So..." She gave him a stern look. "For your own sake, go away." She knew that if all else failed, sometimes appealing to a person's sense of self-preservation might work.


End file.
